I'm planning to shoot some motorcycle events with my RB Graflex and I'm wondering if anyone has tried the panning technique that creates an egg-shaped distortion on wheels speeding past the camera. There's a famous photograph made around 1910 with a Graflex-type large-format SLR that shows a racing car with egg-shaped wheels moving past a row of spectators who appear to be leaning in the opposite direction. I imagine it must have been made with a fairly slow shutter speed (no fast films back then) using the narrowest possible curtain opening, but I'm not sure. If anyone has tried this technique I'd appreciate hearing their comments.
Thanks,
Billy Canuck

Billy;
It has been many years since I tried any panning of fast moving vehicles with my 2x3 Speed Graphic so my recolections may not be accurate.
As I recall it the smallest opening in the shutter curtain will produce the egg shaped wheels and the vertical lines of the vehicle leaning forward if the panning is slow or the camera is still. If the panning is right on the money there will be no distortion of the vehicle but the background objects will appear to lean in the oposite direction to the movement of the vehicle and camera aiming point.
Just try it and see how it turns out. Only experimentation and practice will show how to get the results you want.
I wish you good fortune on your efforts.